The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is normally my favorite week of the year. While there’s definitely a bit of a let down after 4-6 weeks of merry making, it’s a perfect week to settle on that one-little-word for the new year and to take a look back before moving forward.
But this year, I couldn’t settle on one-little-word and felt hesitant to look back at 2016.
It’s almost as if I look back I’m afraid of what I’ll see.
This morning though, my one-little-word found me.
The house was still and quiet as I picked up our half empty mugs from the coffee table. Just as I walked into the kitchen I noticed a left over treat from Christmas Eve sat half eaten.
Why do I feel sad about that?
The corner where the Christmas tree glowed happy for weeks was dark while the tree lay just outside the kitchen window, bare and dying.
The lights on the stair garland were going out and almost all of our battery operated lights and candles went dark days ago. 
Every inch of this house that just a week before glowed with expectancy, now looked weary and lifeless .
My next breath was a little heavier than the last.
It’s all in the way you look at things I suppose. Maybe I’m just sad because Christmas is over, maybe it’s the expected holiday let down.
But deep down I knew there was more happening than coming off Christmas.
I’d known it was coming for weeks, this hesitation to move forward into the new year…because, what if life gets dark in 2017, like it did in 2016?
Reluctant to admit it, for months I’d been having an onslaught of what-if questions firing through my brain and the force pulling the trigger was my oldest enemy, the one I fought hard to get rid of…fear.
How could I have missed it? Fear was back bringing with it those crippling companions; negativity, melancholy and cynicism..
In the past I’ve fought long and hard to rid myself of their influence but I’ve gotta tell ya, this morning, right here, trying to keep my balance on this precarious bridge between the old year and the new one, I don’t have the energy to fight.
I thought it best to just say it out loud and clear the air, “God, I just don’t have any fight in me.” 
That’s when my eyes landed on this crèche.
A gentle reminder perhaps?
And then, as if on cue, I looked out of the window at the precise moment the sun flashed this fantastical flare right into the breakfast room. I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture. 
What a mesmerizing glow.
I followed the light, bending down just a little, this is what I saw. For a split second I felt my entire body relax.
Quick another phone picture to help me remember…
…that audacious light cut clear through the melancholy to illuminate my tiny corner of the world.
I followed the light through the screen porch and outside onto the stoop.
Standing there squinting directly into sun, I thought I heard God speak…
“you don’t have to fight the fear…just focus on the light”.
Would that really work God, simply focusing on the light?
“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
As for 2017, I’m trusting God to help me focus on that light that shines in darkness. And I went back and forth between focus and light for my one-little-word for 2017 and settled on:
If you choose a word for the year, I’d love for you to share it and tell me a little about how you came to pick your word…
Happy New Year sweet friends xo
Once again, Robin, it is as if you had been ” reading my mail”. Your phrase, “I don’t have the fight in me” was a real bell-ringer for me today. He is the Light of the World, and the Blessed Hope. I choose “Hope”.
Love your word Beverly…there’s not a better one actually – sending love my friend ox
Oh, Robin, the same thoughts and fears have been plaguing me for the new year. 2016 was a challenging year for me and my family. But YOU ARE SO RIGHT! I need to focus on the LIGHT and not on the darkness; HE is the LIGHT and I choose to focus on HIM!
Thank you, once again, for giving me the message I needed to hear!
God bless you and your family in this new year of 2017!
Blessings and love to you too Mary xo
This is so good Robin. I needed this reminder. My word for the coming year is ABIDE.
Elisabeth…Abide was a word of mine a few years ago…such a good word…to live in Him…abide in Him…it’s what we want and I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing what He teaches you this year xo
I love The Word you have chosen. I love the photos that represent it so well too. I don’t pick a word anymore, but I am feeling hopeful about 2017. We’ve had a hard few years (I’m sure alot of it s my perspective about it.) and I’m hopeful we are coming out of it. I’m excited to become a “Gigi” this summer too. Our daughter is expecting twins!! 😀 So, obviously 2017 is going to be great!!
Love it ! Let’s choose to see the Light that God has shining ! Great message !we cannot give into our feelings !
What a beautiful message.
Wow! I needed this today! Thanks for sharing and for helping me to remember how important it is to “focus on the light!” Happy New Year to you and yours! May this year bring God’s best for you!
Thank you…I’m not alone in these battles between fear & faith…I’m going to try to FOCUS on the light of HIM more quickly before the “what ifs” begin to shake me up..
Happy Blessed New Year to you and your family…May your 2017 be amazing!!
I’m crying as I write this…..Thank you God. I don’t have the fight and I don’t want to fight but around me is yuck. The LIGHT, it’s mine and I have it. And thank you other women of God who honestly confess your truths here.
Holy goosebumps, Robin. Oh, what a beautiful, honest post. And LIGHT. Perfect word choice. You know how I relate to the whole fear thing, but any amount of light shines in the darkness. Even a single ray.
Love you. Thank you for being you. And the pics are stunning!
Wow, your message really hit me hard on this horrible, dark, rainy morning…a grim start to a new year the holds a lot of unanswered questions as I move forward. I love your word and light…sun has always made me happy, but I guess I just haven’t found my direction yet since family left late yesterday and I am very sad. I hope a word will find me later today as I enjoy one last day with the decorations before I start the huge task of putting them all away. Robin, Happy New Year!
Beautiful!
GOD works in mysterious ways!
What a heartfelt message here. Thank you for sharing it. My one word for the new coming year would be PEACE. I hope we all feel more peace in ourselves and in the world.
My word last year was abide as I noticed someone before me is using. My word for this year, which I believe is nudged to me by God is delight. I know I delight in the law of the Lord and I delight in His Word, many other scriptures give me this image, but this year I am finding more and more scriptures that tell me that God delights over me, he sings over me, even dances! I am both humbled and excited by this. My favorite scripture so far is Zephaniah 3:17. It really delights me!
You had what I call “a God moment”! He is the light!
Blessings
Thank you
Just after this blog (love this writer!) – http://www.heatherlende.com/faith-and-hope?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook –
I read yours. Now isn’t that the most interesting thing God has done today! 🙂
I’ve been anticipating your post on the 2017 word! I have learned a lot from you Robin. And this One Word a year is just an example. I love your word and the glorious pictures. My word is trust. Worrying about illness in 2016 got me nowhere. It’s time to trust!
Those words you wrote, “I don’t have the fight in me” is almost the exact same words I prayed just the other day. 2016 was challenging to say the least. As I looked forward to the new year, fear too threatened to overtake me. So many questions that my faith started to dwindle. But, seeing that light in your pictures has lifted my spirits so very much. Thank you, sweet friend. I need to read your post today.
My word this year is trust. Something I have a hard time doing at times.
Love and hugs.